How People Live

Describes different parts of the world and how people live in each, from the Eskimos and Inuit of the Arctic to the Amish and Maya of North America and the Asante and Zulu of Africa. How People Live combines the appeal of a fascinating collection of stories with the educational qualities of a reference book. Focusing on the daily lives, customs, languages, and religions of peoples from around the world, we look at the fundamental similarities of all peoples, and the extraordinary traditions that make each culture unique. Maasai cattle herders often open a vein in one of their cows, drink some nutritious blood, and seal it up again. A Russian custom involves dunking children into icy cold water in order to make them hardy and immune to illnesses. Knitting is an important craft tradition for the people of Taquile Island in Lake Titicaca -- but only the men know how to do it. Kazakh horsemen play kokpar, a version of polo, using a headless sheep's or goat's carcass instead of a ball. The people of the Pacific's Yap islands use the world's largest coins, round chunks of stone that can be up to 12 feet (3.5 meters) tall.